Psalms 44:2-12

2 Thine hand lost heathen men, and thou plantedest them (Thy hand destroyed the heathen/Thy power drove out the heathen, and thou plantedest our forefathers there); thou tormentedest (the) peoples, and castedest them out.

3 For the children of Israel wielded the land not by their sword; and the arm of them saved not them. But thy right hand, and thine arm, and the lightening of thy cheer; for thou were pleased in them. (For the children of Israel took the land not by their own swords; and their own power did not save them. But it was thy right hand, and thy power, and the shining of thy face; for thou gavest favour to them.)

4 Thou art thyself, my king, and my God; that sendest healths to Jacob. (Thou art my King, and my God; who sendest help to Jacob.)

5 By thee we shall winnow our enemies with [the] horn; and in thy name we shall despise them, that rise against us. (By thy power we shall winnow our enemies; and in thy name, we shall defeat those who rise up against us.)

6 For I shall not hope in my bow (For I shall not trust in my bow); and my sword shall not save me.

7 For thou hast saved us from men tormenting us; and thou hast shamed men hating us.

8 We shall be pleased in God all day; and in thy name we shall acknowledge to thee into the world. (We shall glory in God all day long; and we shall praise thy name forever.)

9 But now thou hast put us aback, and hast shamed us; and thou, Lord, shalt not go out in our virtues. (But now thou hast rejected us, and hast humbled us; and O Lord, thou no longer goeth out with our hosts, or our armies.)

10 Thou hast turned us away behind after our enemies; and they, that hated us, ravished diversely to themselves. (Thou hast made us turn back, or run away, from our enemies; and those, who hate us, took for themselves what was ours.)

11 Thou hast given us as sheep of meats; and among heathen men thou hast scattered us. (Thou hast given us up like sheep for meat, or for food; and thou hast scattered us among the heathen.)

12 Thou hast sold thy people without price; and multitude there was not in the (ex)changings of them. (Thou hast sold thy people for nothing; and there was no profit from their sale.)

Psalms 44:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, Maschil. It is not certain who was the writer of this psalm, nor when it was written, and to what time it belongs: some have thought it was composed by one of the Babylonish captivity, and that it gives an account of the church and people of God in those times; but what is said in Psalm 44:17 does not seem to agree with Daniel 9:5. It is most likely it was written by David, and to him the Targum ascribes it; though it does not respect his times; since what is said in Psalm 44:9 cannot agree with them; yet he being a prophet might, under a prophetic influence, speak of future times, and represent the church in them. Some are of opinion that he prophetically speaks of the times of the Maccabees and of Antiochus, when the church and people of God suffered much for the true religion, and abode steadfast in it; so Theodoret: but rather the whole may be applied to the times of the New Testament, since Psalm 44:22 is cited by the Apostle Paul, Romans 8:36, and is applied to his times, and as descriptive of the suffering state and condition of the church then; and which seems to be the guide and key for the opening of the whole psalm.